'Public health time bomb' to be assessed by St James PC
published: Tuesday | October 28, 2003

By Erica James-King, Staff Reporter

WESTERN BUREAU:

A MAJOR assessment is to be done by the St. James Parish Council on the full extent of the sanitation needs of the Old Shoe Market in Montego Bay, which has been labelled a public health time bomb by the health department.

Additionally, a report on the findings of the evaluation is to be submitted to Mayor of Montego Bay Councillor Noel Donaldson, before the end of this week.

Tubal Brown, Superintendent of Works for the St. James Parish Council has been saddled with the task of scrutinising the facilities and reporting to the Mayor.

This latest development comes in the wake of a warning letter issued to the council by the public health department, imploring the council to take immediate steps to rectify the deplorable hygienic conditions at the Old Shoe Market by November 2, or face tough action. The unsanitary conditions at the facility include lack of running water, improper garbage disposal, absence of garbage receptacles and a lack of sanitary conveniences.

The letter stated that there was "a long standing public health nuisance existing at the site of the Old Shoe Market" and it cautioned that "the St. James public health department can no longer allow the public to be faced with a continuous risk of an epidemic."

Acknowledging that the council had not implemented any changes at the facility since receiving the letter earlier this month, Mayor Donaldson told The Gleaner that: "Before we can determine how to remedy the problems at the Old Shoe Market, we will have to examine in detail the problems prevailing there." He stated further that "the Superintendent of Roads and Works has been charged with the responsibility of looking at the problems and shortly after going through the report, the council will strategies on how to correct the problems.

In the meantime, Councillor Heroy Clarke of the Mobay South East division has issued a recommendation to the St. James Parish Council, urging it to finance a programme for the construction of sanitary conveniences. "I hope from this council that we could seek to find funding ...to maybe purchase two or three toilets to put in the facility to at least alleviate the (sanitation) problem," Mr. Clarke proposed.